National Parks Traveler Podcast

National Parks Traveler is the world's top-rated, editorially independent, nonprofit media organization dedicated to covering national parks and protected areas on a daily basis. Traveler offers readers and listeners a unique multimedia blend of news, feature content, debate, and discussion all tied to national parks and protected areas.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 261 | Coming to the Aid of Giant Sequoias

Stand before a giant sequoia tree in Sequoia or Kings Canyon national parks or nearby Yosemite National Park and you’re overwhelmed by their size, and assume they’re impervious to anything that might be thrown at them. But as we learned from wildfires in 2020 and 2021 in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, that’s not the case.

February 11th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 260 | California Mountain Lions

Mountain lions are an incredibly charismatic animal on landscapes within, and adjacent to, the National Park System. But they’re seldom seen because of their nocturnal tendencies.

There recently was a new report that focused on a comprehensive estimate of mountain lions in California, and the number is much smaller than many had thought it was.

February 4th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 259 | Manassas Battlefield Threats

Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia protects one of the defining battlefields of the Civil War. It was there that the first battle of the war was waged, in 1861, it was the scene of a second battle a year later, and it was where Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jackson got his Stonewall nickname.

January 28th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 258 | National Park Reservation Systems

Mount Rainier National Park is the most recent unit of the National Park System to announce that you’ll need a reservation to enter the most popular areas of the park during the busy summer months. At the same time, Shenandoah National Park has announced that a pilot program it’s been running for two years for access to Old Rag will be permanent going forward.

January 21st, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 257 | The Future of the Endangered Species Act

When Congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973, it said that species of fish, wildlife, and plants in the US have been rendered extinct as a consequence of economic growth and development untampered by adequate concern and conservation. Other species of fish, wildlife, and plants have been so depleted in numbers that they are in danger of, or threatened with, extinction.

January 14th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 256 | Golden Spike National Historical Park

As a young boy growing up in New Jersey, a year-end holiday treat was setting up our model railroad. It gave me and my two brothers hours of fun and an opportunity to learn a little about the steam age of railroads. Our first railroad featured Lionel O gauge locomotives and cars. Later we moved into HO gauge trains, and many years later I had an N gauge layout.

January 7th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 255 | 2023 Park System Year in Review Part 2

We’re closing out the year with a look back at some of the top stories around the National Park System, and involving the National Park Service. We opened this look a week ago with Kristen Brengel from the National Parks Conservation Association and Mike Murray from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, discussing issues involving the National Park Service and outside impacts affecting the National Park System.

December 31st, 2023 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 254 | 2023 Park System Year in Review Part 1

The past year has been a trying one for the National Park Service, and for many of the units in the National Park System. For the agency, employee morale continued to be a major issue as housing, pay, and leadership remained sore spots for many who worked for the Service.
On the ground, climate change continued to impact parks, from sea level rise and more potent storms, to wildfires, and hotter and dryer conditions that adversely affected vegetation, wildlife, and facilities.

December 24th, 2023 Read More

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The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.